Anakena Carmenere

Name: Anakena
Color: Red
Varietal: Carmenere
Vintage: 2010
Country/State: Chile
Region: Rapel Valley
Price: $8
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)

Good deal for the price.  This wine was smooth and fruity, dominated by blackberry and some pepper.  I would prefer it to be a little richer and bigger in the mouth, but for the price it served its purpose as a good wine to pair with pizza.  It was also nice on its own.

Maipe Reserva Malbec

Name: Maipe Reserva
Color: Red
Varietal: Malbec
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: Argentina
Region: Mendoza
Price: $15
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

Nice Malbec with very good aromas of blueberry, blackberry, flowers, and chocolate.  Big, rich, and full-bodied mouthfeel with taste similar to nose.  Very silky and smooth.

Shenandoah Vineyards Chenin Blanc / Viognier

Name: Shenandoah Vineyards
Color: White
Varietal: Blend (Chenin Blanc/Viognier)
Vintage: 2010
Country/State: California
Region: Amador County
Price: $15
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)

I was hoping for a little more from this wine since it was a blend of two of my favorite white varietals, Chenin Blanc and Viognier.  The wine was rich and full, but the flavors were lacking for me.  I picked up on some peach and pear, but that's about it.  It was OK, but I'd probably pass on it in the future.

Concannon Central Coast Cab

Name: Concannon
Color: Red
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: California
Region: Central Coast
Price: $8.50
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

This was a really good wine and a great bargain (less than $10).  It's really balanced with dark cherries and other dark berries in the nose and mouth, as well as some chocolate in the finish.

Chateau de la Tour de L'ange

Name: Chateau de la Tour de L'ange
Color: White
Varietal: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2010
Country/State: France
Region: Burgundy
Price: $14
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

We enjoyed this white Burgundy last week...The nose was a bit limited, but the flavors were great.  Mostly pears, apples, some citrus, and lemons.  It had great acidity and was quite juicy.

Sepia Reserva Pinot Noir

Name: Sepia Reserva Pinot Noir
Color: Red
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2010
Country/State: Chile
Region: Casablanca Valley
Price: $10
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

We had this wine for the first time last night with Kentucky Hot Browns...It was good with dinner, but really opened up and tasted much better a couple of hours later.  This wine definitely benefited from a little air time.  It was very rich, with berry fruits and some earth.  A nice, light bodied wine for a change of pace.  For the price, it's a very good deal.

Burgans Albarino

Name: Burgans Albarino
Color: White
Varietal: Albarino
Vintage: 2010
Country/State: Spain
Region: Rias Baixas
Price: $15
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

We had this wine last week with scallops, and it was delicious.  We've had several Spanish Albarinos before and have really enjoyed them all.  This one from Burgans was no exception.  It featured peach, lemon, and citrus flavors and was round, ripe, and coated the mouth.  We really can't go wrong with an Albarino from Spain. 

Bougrier Famille Vouvray

Name: Bougrier Famille Vouvary
Color: White
Varietal: Chenin Blanc
Vintage: 2010
Country/State: France
Region: Vouvray
Price: $12
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

We had this Vouvray a couple of weeks ago and thought it was terrific.  A little on the sweet side, but still crisp and refreshing.  Good fruit flavors with a generous amount of honey.  Chenin Blanc is quickly becoming one of our go-to white varietals.

It's been awhile....

I kind of fell off the posting wagon for the past several months...Since my last post in August, we have had several bottles of wine, but they have primarily been repeats (wines we've had before) with really no surprises.  We have had a few new ones, so I'll post those today.

Don't sleep on these guys this year...They look ready to cut down the nets in April...

Green Truck Petite Sirah

Name: Green Truck
Color: Red
Varietal: Petite Sirah
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: California
Region: Mendocino County
Price: $10
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

This was a nice Petite Sirah that we enjoyed last night after dinner. It featured big, bold dark fruits with a bit of pepper and spice. The nose was excellent and powerful. The was juicy and delicious and had a pretty long finish. Plus it's organic, which is a nice bonus.

Yalumba Shiraz-Viognier

Name: Yalumba
Color: Red
Varietal: Shiraz (w/ Viognier)
Vintage: 2008
Country/State: Australia
Region: South Australia
Price: $10
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

This was first Shiraz we've had in a long time, even though we both love a good Shiraz from Australia...The Yalumba was mixed with a touch of Viognier, similar to the d'Arenberg Laughing Magpie that we love.

This wine was good, though not as great at the Magpie. It was fruity, but with a good tannic structure. It featured dark red and black fruit and had some good spice to it. The finish was medium in length and the wine was nice with and without food.

Kemblefield Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Kemblefield
Color: White
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2010
Country/State: New Zealand
Region: Marlborough
Price: $10
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

This was a nice New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region that we bought in place of our usual go-to Sauvignon Blanc from Kim Crawford...The Kemblefield is a couple bucks cheaper, but it still had the citrus, grapefruit, and tropical fruit flavors that you'd expect from New Zealand. It's a very good, light-bodied, summer sipper.

Kitchen Sink White Blend

Name: Kitchen Sink
Color: White
Varietal: Blend (Chardonnay/Chenin Blanc/Gewurztraminer)
Vintage: NA
Country/State: California
Region: Various
Price: $9
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)

This was a terrific little white blend for less than $10...Very fruity, with pears, melons, citrus, and honey really present in the mouth. The finish was pretty short, but that doesn't take away from the fact that this was a delicious, refreshing, lively wine. Especially excellent for the summer!

Louis M. Martini Cabernet

Name: Louis M. Martini
Color: Red
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: California
Region: Sonoma
Price: $14
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)

This was a nice California Cab that we enjoyed with pizza and later on its own. It was dry and smooth, with flavors of blackberry and dark cherry and a little bit of spice. Nice tannins with a medium body and medium finish. It's a good value for a well-made Cabernet from California.

Bougrier Vouvray

Name: Bougrier Vouvray
Color: White
Varietal: Chenin Blanc
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: France
Region: Loire Valley
Price: $10
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)


This was our first bottle of Vouvray (made with the Chenin Blanc grape), and we completely enjoyed it...It was a delicious, medium-bodied wine, with flavors of sweet fruit like peaches, pears, and pineapples, with some kiwi and green apples. It's an off-dry wine, but it had enough acidity to keep it balanced. We drank this wine on its own after chilling it, and also had it with a dinner of grilled chicken and vegetables. It was terrific with and without food.

For about $10, we will definitely keep this one on our list of favorites.

Conundrum White

Name: Conundrum
Color: White
Varietal: Blend (Chardonnay/Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon/Viognier/Muscat)
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: California
Region: Various
Price: $18
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)


We enjoyed this terrific white blend while spending a relaxing night away at the Innisbrook Resort, just up the road in Palm Harbor...Krista and I polished off the entire bottle before cutting through one of the golf courses to eat dinner at the Salamander Market Grille. The wine was delicious and featured tropical fruit, peaches, pears, honey, and vanilla. It was off-dry but still had great acidity to keep it in balance.

After reading more about Conundrum online, I learned that it's part of the Wagner Family of Wine, the same group responsible for the Belle Glos Meiomi Pinot Noir that we like so much. Both the Meiomi and the Conundrum are amazing wines that would please many palates. Both are less than $20, making them excellent values, too.

Bogle Phantom

Name: Bogle Phantom
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Petite Sirah/Zinfandel/Mourvedre)
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: California
Region: Various
Price: $19
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

After our disappointing experience the night before with the Durigutti Bonarda, we redeemed ourselves with this nice red blend from Bogle, known as the Phantom. I had been meaning to try this wine for awhile, so when I stumbled across it as I was looking for a wine for my Father's Day dinner (steaks on the grill), I jumped all over it.

It was very good, but not exactly what I expected. I'm a big fan of Bogle's Petite Sirah, especially its combination of dark fruit and chocolate. The Phantom, however, seemed to be dominated by the Zinfandel, at least to my nose and palate. It was a nice, big bodied wine that went really well with the steaks and was also good on its own. I just wish I was able to taste more of the Petite Sirah, which is one of my favorite varietals.

Durigutti Bonarda

Name: Durigutti Bonarda
Color: Red
Varietal: Bonarda
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: Argentina
Region: Mendoza
Price: $11
Stars: 3 (out of 5)


We had our very experience with the Bonarda grape last night, and it left a little to be desired. Neither Krista nor I really enjoyed this Bonarda from Durigutti. It was a little flat or flabby, and was a bit too soft for our tastes. It lacked the spice that I expected it to have based on what I had read online about it. It also seemed to be really grapey, without any dark fruit taste.

All in all, I would probably pass on this wine in the future.

Clifford Bay Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Clifford Bay
Color: White
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: New Zealand
Region: Marlborough
Price: $9
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)


Krista bought this wine earlier this week to go with a dinner of fish and crab. It's been awhile since we've had a Sauvignon Blanc, which is unusual since it's one of our favorite grapes. We usually buy the Kim Crawford, but this one was a few dollars cheaper and pretty good. It was a fairly typical Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand -- dominated by grapefruit, citrus, and other tropical fruits. Not bad at all for less than $10.

Palazzo Della Torre Allegrini

Name: Palazzo Della Torre Allegrini
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Corina Veronese/Rondinella/Sangiovese)
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: Italy
Region: Veneto
Price: $17
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)

We really loved the 2006 vintage of this wine, and the 2007 was excellent as well. This is a great wine with a really nice nose featuring dark fruits, a bit of chocolate, coffee, and leather. It's a smooth, elegant, full-bodied wine for less than $20. You can't beat that. We both really liked this wine, yet again.

Belle Glos Meiomi Pinot Noir

Name: Belle Glos Meiomi Pinot Noir
Color: Red
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: California
Region: Various
Price: $22
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)


Wow...this is a juicy wine full of red berry and blackberry goodness. I've had this wine by the glass at Carmel Cafe & Wine Bar, but this was the first time we've had a bottle at home. It was delicious. Very fruit forward, but with depth to be taken seriously. It had a bigger body than a lot of Pinots, which I really like. Krista and I both really enjoyed this wine and can't wait to have it again.

Belle Glos has a couple of other Pinot Noirs that sound delicious as well. I'll keep an eye out for those.

Pierre Amadieu Gigondas Romane Machotte

Name: Pierre Amadieu Gigondas Romane Machotte
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Grenache, Syrah)
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: France
Region: Gigondas
Price: $22
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)


We took this wine with us last night to dinner at Cello's CharHouse in downtown Safety Harbor...The dinner and the wine were both terrific. The wine was very smooth and we quickly finished the bottle...It was highlighted by blackberries, plums, and vanilla, with a nice black pepper spice. I highly recommend both the wine and the restaurant.

(We've also enjoyed the red blend from the Vacqueyras region by this same producer, and would like to taste them both together to compare and contrast...either way, both wines were excellent!)

Wines We Have at Home

Wines I currently have at the house:



Blend: Merkin Vineyards Chupacabra, (Arizona, Cochise County), 2006, $20; Cab/Syrah; signed by winemakers Eric Glomski and Maynard James Keenan
Moscato D'Asti: Villa Lanata, (Italy, Piedmont), 2009, $13
Sparkling: Gruet Blanc de Noirs, (New Mexico), NV, $15

St. Francis Red

Name: St. Francis
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Merlot/Syrah/Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon/Zinfandel)
Vintage: 2005
Country/State: California
Region: Sonoma
Price: $7
Stars: 4 (out of 5)


We had this wine before and really enjoyed it, so when it was on sale at Ed's Fine Wines for about $7, I bought another bottle...It was still very good...fresh and fruity and a little bit spicy. Very enjoyable, especially for the price.

Apothic Red

Name: Apothic Red
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Syrah, Zinfandel, Merlot)
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: California
Region: Various
Price: $10 (on sale)
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)

We've had the 2008 vintage of the Apothic Red blend before and really enjoyed it...This bottle was the 2009 vintage and it was excellent as well...Dark berries, mocha, and vanilla dominated the taste of this one. Nice wine.

Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Bonterra
Color: Red
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2008
Country/State: California
Region: Mendocino
Price: $12
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

We had this tasty organic California cab last night with burgers that I grilled. The Bonterra cab is very fruity and juicy with red berry flavors and a smooth feel in the mouth. It was a little hot at first, but after some time in the glass it mellowed out rather quickly to allow the flavors to shine through. We really enjoyed this affordable cab.

Las Brisas Rueda

Name: Las Brisas
Color: White
Varietal: Blend (Verdejo/Viura/Sauvignon Blanc)
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: Spain
Region: Rueda
Price: $12
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

This was our second wine from Rueda in the past month and we really enjoyed it, much like the last one (Naia). This wine is another terrific summer wine option. It's very crisp, fresh, and refreshing with good acidity and balance. It features delicious peach and apricot flavors and was very to easy to drink...We polished off this bottle very quickly.

Graham Beck Chardonnay/Viognier

Name: Graham Beck
Color: White
Varietal: Blend (Chardonnay/Viognier)
Vintage: 2010
Country/State: South Africa
Region: Western Cape
Price: $10
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

This was a nice white blend, mostly Chardonnay but with a nice touch of Viognier, that we enjoyed with dinner (chicken, with a white wine sauce, made with this same wine)...This wine had a nice nose and taste dominated by peaches and pears, with some lime. It was big and rich, but still crisp and fresh. It went well with the dinner and was also very good on its own. Another South African winner!

Boutari Moschofilero

Name: Boutari Moschofilero
Color: White
Varietal: Moschofilero
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: Greece
Region: Martinia
Price: $13
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)

We had this wine (our first from Greece) with dinner last night (fish with a corn salsa relish), and it was excellent. It was our first experience with a Moschofilero and it definitely won't be the last. I hope I can find more of this varietal from other producers to see how it compares to this one from Boutari.

The wine was light and fresh, clean and bright. It's a very easy drinking wine, perfect for sipping on its own or with light dishes. It has less than 12% alcohol, so it won't weigh you down. It has flavors of crisp green apples and pears, lots of pears, with a bit of grapefruit and citrus at the end. It's not very complex, just delicious. We finished this bottle very quickly!

Naia Verdejo

Name: Naia Verdejo
Color: White
Varietal: Verdejo
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: Spain
Region: Rueda
Price: $13
Stars: 4 (out of 5)


We had this wonderful Verdejo from Spain last night and really enjoyed it. This wine was packing a wallop of grapefruit, kiwi, and citrus. It had a medium body with a really nice mouthfeel. The finish was long and the wine was terrific. I would definitely recommend this wine and will look for more Verdejos to try soon.

Prima Voce Super Tuscan

Name: Prima Voce
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc/Syrah)
Vintage: 2005
Country/State: Italy
Region: Tuscany
Price: $15
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)


We had this mini-Super Tuscan blend last night and it was OK. It definitely needed some air, so I poured it in the decanter for an hour or so. After that, most of the heat blew off, but it still was missing something to me. I picked up on some cherry and vanilla flavors with some earthiness, but it was really too oaky for my taste. The tannins were nice, but I don't think I'd go out of my way to find this one again.

Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel

Name: Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel
Color: Red
Varietal: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: California
Region: Lodi
Price: $8
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

We had the Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel this weekend and really enjoyed it...For the price, less than $10, it is an extremely good bargain. It's nothing to get too excited about but it definitely fits the bill for a great value wine. We remembered liking this wine when we tried it at the Safety Harbor Wine Festival. The flavors and aromas are of big, dark fruits, with cherry and vanilla. The tannins were smooth and the finish was medium in length...All in all, a very good wine.

I also just realized that it's been quite awhile since we've had wine at home to post about. We've had a few glasses at restaurants, most notably a terrific Pinot Noir at Carmel Cafe & Wine Bar that I really need to track down. But our drinking at home has slowed down a bit...We need to fix that!!!

Vini Nobilis Hellenico Aglianico

Name: Vini Nobilis Hellenico Aglianico
Color: Red
Varietal: Aglianico
Vintage: 2006
Country/State: Italy
Region: Campania
Price: $16
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)

Last night we watched the Super Bowl and enjoyed our first ever bottle of Aglianico, a grape grown throughout Southern Italy. This one was from Campania and we drank it with a supreme pizza. The wine was big, bold, and fairly rustic. The tannins were gripping, but the dark red fruits came across, along with black tea and earth. It was better with the food than it was on its own...I liked it but didn't love it. Still, it's always fun to try new wines and new varietals.

Unfortunately, on the second night the wine had fallen off pretty drastically and was practically undrinkable.

McWilliam's Pinot Noir

Name: McWilliam's Pinot Noir
Color: Red
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2008
Country/State: Australia
Region: SE Australia
Price: $12
Stars: 4 (out of 5)


This was our first Australian Pinot Noir, and it definitely won't be the last...It was big and juicy with a much bigger body than I expected from a Pinot. It featured red berries, cherries, and some spice. It was very smooth and a bit more complex than I thought it would be. Overall, I was very pleased with the McWilliam's Pinot Noir. Good stuff!

Cupcake Petite Sirah

Name: Cupcake Petite Sirah
Color: Red
Varietal: Petite Sirah
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: California
Region: Central Coast
Price: $10
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)

We had the Cupcake Petite Sirah earlier this week and it was just OK...It wasn't nearly as big and bold as I was hoping from a Petite Sirah. Because of this, it fell a little flat for my taste. It was very fruit forward, featuring red berries and some vanilla. There was nothing really wrong with it, but it just didn't hit the spot.